Isringhausen retiring as East Alton police chief

Published
5:05 pm CDT, Thursday, June 4, 2015

EAST ALTON — More change is afoot in East Alton.

Just days after East Alton Mayor Fred Bright declared his intentions to retire in early May, East Alton Police Chief Dwynn Isringhausen told the Telegraph Tuesday that he will also be retiring from his post next month. Isringhausen hasn’t yet set a date for his departure, only that it will take place in May.

Isringhausen, 47, will retire after nearly 29 years with the East Alton Police Department. Isringhausen started as a part-time records clerk in 1986 and held positions as a dispatcher, patrolman, shift commander, assistant police chief and finally as police chief during his tenure with the department. Isringhausen has been chief of police since 2008.

With Bright, who has been mayor for the duration of Isringhausen’s run as chief, announcing his retirement last week, Isringhausen said it caused him to look at his options as well.

“East Alton Police Department has been good to me,” Isringhausen said. “I’m very loyal. But with this change (in mayor), it gives me the opportunity to reassess my goals. I spent some time with my wife praying to my Lord, and I think at this time it’s time for me to look at making that next step, pursue dreams.”

The village’s mayor holds the power to appoint an individual to the role of chief of police, an at-will position, according to Village Clerk Lori Palmer. A new mayor will likely be appointed from among the village’s trustees at its May 5 meeting.

“Dwynn was a very good officer and chief,” Bright said. “He fulfilled what I asked for when I appointed him as chief.”

Isringhausen’s next stage is still undetermined. He said he has considered another career path but hasn’t accepted any other jobs or made any decisions on a direction yet.

“I have a great interest to teach the next generation of law enforcement,” Isringhausen said. “That being said, I still love law enforcement. If the opportunity arose for me to continue to work as a chief in a more challenging and continued growth habitat, I would welcome that also. I don’t believe you should sit still. You should be constantly trying to improve yourself and give that back to the profession. I’ve just been a policeman for 29 years. Even in my dispatch years, all I wanted to do was be a policeman.”

Isringhausen is originally from Prairietown, Ill. He started with the department as an 18-year-old Lewis and Clark Community College student. He went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from Concordia University and a master’s degree in administration from Lindenwood University.

Along with his duties with the department, Isringhausen also served as a member of the St. Louis Major Case Squad. In 2008, he was afforded the opportunity to attend the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.

“I would like to say thank you to the community,” Isringhausen said. “The community has been here for me for 29 years. I have enjoyed interacting and will miss the opportunity for some (community members) to come into my office and just sit and talk. I’ve had a great run with them, and I think we had a situation where I respected them and they respected me.